Customer Reviews

Jump Up Calypso

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My parents had most of Harry Belafonte's albums and we played them til the grooves came off. This is my favorite album of Harry's and sounds as fresh today as it did when it first came out many years ago. Next time you have a BBQ get this (or any Harry Belafonte)cd out and get ready to party hearty!

This is a record that belongs in everyone's collection, regardless of the type of music you like. There is something for everyone, from the absolutely heartbreaking "Land of sea and sun" to the infectious "Monkey". The backing of the Trinidad steel band is just immaculate, and recording-wise, this is one of the great ones. Recorded in RCA's studios in late 60-61, it is one of the finest, most vibrant stero recordings the RCA engineers produced, and that's saying a lot. Warm, detailed, and airy. A great sytem-showoff disc.

Jump Up Calypso This is one of those albums that most everyone loving the music of people celebrating life needs to have in their collection. It is, likewise, a necessary element in any world music collection. It remains true to its title and is the essential album for showing "Calypso" as a viable musical genre and not just a footnote in American pop.

It is a true shame that production has ceased. Rhino or some other class act organization should hurry this gem, as originally marketed, back into production and onto the market.

Once upon a time, this was not an obscure recording. I actually recall this in my dad's record collection, and recently purchased it on vinyl from a second hand shop. Released in 1961 as the follow up to Belafonte's #1 selling "Calypso" (the latter released in 1956), "Jump Up Calypso" rose to #3 on the Billboard charts and became a certified Gold record for album sales (over 500,000 copies). It only takes one listen to understand why, as this is an infectious album that combines some raucous calypso renditions of Caribbean folk tunes with a few more mellow but beautifully done selections featuring Belafonte's smooth as glass voice.

It's really hard to choose a standout on this album, as all of it wonderful. The opener, "Sweetheart from Venezuela" is a raucous party of a tune, as is the closer on side 2, "Angelina". "The Land of the Sea and Sun" is a charming, mellow folk tune, but my favorite might the the infectious grooves of "Monkey". Overall however, there are no weak spots here. Belafonte appears to have pulled off the rare feat of a follow-up that surpasses the original that inspired it (in this case, 1956's "Calypso".)

So what will it take to get a CD re-release of this classic? It appears that "Jump Up Calypso" has been out of print since the mid 1990's. I hope we don't have to wait for the brief Belafonte music revival that will likely follow his passing, which hopefully, won't be soon, but the man is well over 80 years old as of this writing. A double CD with both "Calypso" and "Jump Up Calypso" is practically a no brainer.

Midway through "Jump in the Line", Belafonte screams "Somebody Help Me!". Well,I need somebody to help me figure out why this classic album is out of print.

This is a fabulous, upbeat, wonderful, get happy record! Harry is FANTASTIC!

I received the album in record time and it is great shape. Thank-you for the great service.Frederica Flynn